about shipping...

[linuxpng]

what products do you use to ship your photographs? Unframed only. I can't come up with a good google search that gets me relevant hits so I'm looking for suggestions. When I have digital photos printed from mpix, I love their packaging I just can't seem to locate products locally or from B&H that would be what I am looking for. Thanks ahead of time.

Steve

[vinny]

A 4x8 sheet of 1/4" luan plywood is about $10-$12. I cut that up to be slightly larger than the mounted print. I take a matching sized piece of foam cor and sandwhich the print between the two, tape the edges. This package won't, or shouldn't bend and protects the print well. You could also use two pieces of luan instead of the foam cor to make it even stronger but heavier.

[eric black]

U-Line has a variety of packaging options (a quick web search ought to get you to them). I typically roll prints with acid free tissue and ship them in the higher quality tubes they offer.

[linuxpng]

U-Line has a variety of packaging options (a quick web search ought to get you to them). I typically roll prints with acid free tissue and ship them in the higher quality tubes they offer.

Thanks for both replies. My wife was thinking about tubes, but I have a stupid followup. How do you decided what diameter tube to use for a print? I see uline offers 1 1/2 to 4 inch diameter tubes. As an example, what size diameter tube seems appropriate for a 16x20 print?
Steve

[Michael Jones]

Ditto for each of the methods of Vinny and Eric. I tend to use 3 cardboard sheets (with the corrugations parallel to the other) with the bagged print taped in the middle of the 2d sheet. Although I have used luan like Vinny, too. Depending with whom you ship, UPS and Fed Ex have shipping tubes (more properly, triangles) available (usually free if you're nice to the counter worker). Good luck.

Mike

[Greg Lockrey]

The post office has tubes of various lengths. They charge a very nominal fee for them too. That's how I ship mine.

[Michael Jones]

Thanks for both replies. My wife was thinking about tubes, but I have a stupid followup. How do you decided what diameter tube to use for a print? I see uline offers 1 1/2 to 4 inch diameter tubes. As an example, what size diameter tube seems appropriate for a 16x20 print?
Steve

The distance around a circle is called the circumference. The distance across a circle through the center is called the diameter. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. Thus, for any circle, if you divide the circumference by the diameter, you get a value close to Pi. This relationship is expressed in the following formula: C over d equals Pi
where C is circumference and d is diameter. You can test this formula at home with a round dinner plate. If you measure the circumference and the diameter of the plate and then divide C by d, your quotient should come close to Pi. Another way to write this formula is: C equals Pi times d where · means multiply. This second formula is commonly used in problems where the diameter is given and the circumference is not known

Here's more examples:

http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol2/circumference.html

And no, I don' t teach it. In fact, I had to take the same section of college algebra three times (thrice actually since I spent more time in literature classes...).

Mike

[vinny]

I shipped a broken fly rod in a 2" PVC tube back to St. Croix Rod in Wisconsin back in college through usps. I got a call a week later regarding my destroyed pvc tube. They were shipping me a new rod since the pvc pipe i shipped didn't arrive in one piece. Scary. Have you ever tried to break a piece of 2" pvc pipe?

On another case with fed ex, i shipped a matted print in a wooded box made from luan and 3/4" pine. It was 24x30 inches by 1/4" thick. It arrived with several boot prints on one side. Someone had clearly walked over it more than once. The print was unharmed. I guess the fragile labels weren't enough.

[linuxpng]

The distance around a circle is called the circumference. The distance across a circle through the center is called the diameter. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. Thus, for any circle, if you divide the circumference by the diameter, you get a value close to Pi. This relationship is expressed in the following formula: C over d equals Pi
where C is circumference and d is diameter. You can test this formula at home with a round dinner plate. If you measure the circumference and the diameter of the plate and then divide C by d, your quotient should come close to Pi. Another way to write this formula is: C equals Pi times d where · means multiply. This second formula is commonly used in problems where the diameter is given and the circumference is not known

Here's more examples:

http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol2/circumference.html

And no, I don' t teach it. In fact, I had to take the same section of college algebra three times (thrice actually since I spent more time in literature classes...).

Mike

I chuckled when I read this to my wife. I guess my question is "how much do you find a picture can be rolled before it hurts the print?"

[Michael Jones]

I chuckled when I read this to my wife. I guess my question is "how much do you find a picture can be rolled before it hurts the print?"

OK OK

I think much depends on the print material itself, as well as the interleaving to protect it. Then we'd be concerned with how long the print will be rolled and the likelihood of movement or abrasion within the tube itself or within the roll of the print. Obviously (to me anyway), no movement would be the best. I have never seen any literature on this, but you may want to check the archival material sites. Or, create the worst case scenario in a tube and send it as far away as possible and then have it sent back for inspection. just a thought...

Good luck and no more math.

Mike

[linuxpng]

OK OK

I think much depends on the print material itself, as well as the interleaving to protect it. Then we'd be concerned with how long the print will be rolled and the likelihood of movement or abrasion within the tube itself or within the roll of the print. Obviously (to me anyway), no movement would be the best. I have never seen any literature on this, but you may want to check the archival material sites. Or, create the worst case scenario in a tube and send it as far away as possible and then have it sent back for inspection. just a thought...

Good luck and no more math.

Mike

Appreciate it Mike, I think the test is a good idea. Thanks to everyone, finding product names from uline has helped push me to test a couple methods posted here and see what results I get.

[claudiocambon]

I use Print Pads from a company called Airfloat Systems in Mississippi. Much easier than rolling them up in a tube, and very sturdy without being heavy. I highly, highly recommend them. Here is the site:

https://www.artfloat.com/products/?cat=Printpads

Cheers!

Claudio

[Tim Hyde]

Mailing in tubes is dangerous and certain to fail at sooner or later. If you don't create a "thumb-nail" wrinkle getting it in the tube, the recipent might do it at his end. You can do it, but it is only a matter of time before it fails. Better to roll a print around the outside of a sturdy tube of some sort and wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap. Best of all is to mail it flat in a fed ex "puncture proof" package or use the plywood route.

[Greg Miller]

I chuckled when I read this to my wife. I guess my question is "how much do you find a picture can be rolled before it hurts the print?"

I use 4" tubes. Anything smaller an it is just too hard to roll the print small enough to fit inside without damaging the print.

[linuxpng]

I wanted to thank everyone again for their replies.. i've ordered a couple different setups to try and send a print across the country to a family member and back. Thanks again for putting me on the right track.
Steve

[Ted Harris]

Try http://www.oxpapertube.com/ much better than what U Line or the USPS have available and also less expensive if you buy in a small qualtity. I use these tubes and they are nearly impervios to shipping gorillas, very tough. For valuable work I ship flat sandwiched between two pieces of gatorboard and ONLY ship it FedEx or DHL.

[claudiocambon]

I should have explained in my post above that the Printpads are flat, and come with an optional thin hard plastic lining that makes them even more resilient. I am like others hesitant to roll anything up, and these things are indestructible, and not that expensive either.

[eddie]

another idea for tubes is top wrap the last few inches in some other kind of paper, then tape it closed. (tape on the added paper) so basically you will have a separate piece of paper holding the photo rolled up. then you can put it in the tube AND remove it very easily. it keeps the photo from expanding in the tube, making it difficult to remove. i pad the top and bottom of the tube so the photo does not bounce up and down and damage the edges.

eddie